Do I see a new trend or micro-style in the offing? EIP. East India Porter.
I applaud the Pretty Things Ale Project for resuscitating a beer recipe that we probably don’t see enough of these days.
Walk the Plank
Here is the Facebook announcement of this new beer series…..
“Heavy Seas Beer announces Plank – a series of beers showcasing unique wood ageing treatments to add flavor and nuance. Our first, Plank I, features an Olde Style English Ale.
Over a year in development, Plank boasts a new and revolutionary way of adding wood to the brewing process. The beer is allowed to mature on the wood during secondary fermentation. Combinations of many different woods, beer styles, yeasts and aging times were tested. We quietly gathered feedback at pint nights featuring Heavy Seas firkins containing ‘mystery wood’. Outside taste testers gave their reviews and a final recipe was written to bring out the unique essence of this wood.
Plank is the first beer to ever use yellow poplar. Prepared in a not so traditional way, it will change the how you perceive wood-aged beers. A revolutionary thermal process releases the compounds in the wood through controlled heat in a way that “toasting” cannot do. This thermal process can be applied to any species of wood, creating something truly unique. Have we created an entirely new genre for wood-aged beer? You decide.
Over the coming weeks we’ll be sharing more about this innovative way of wood aging beer and the crew who developed it. Plank I will be the first, but not the last of its kind as we continue to explore the possibilities. Watch for its release in the Mid-Atlantic area in time to celebrate American Craft Beer Week in May. Plank will join the Mutiny Fleet portfolio of beers available in 22oz bottles and very limited draft.”
Sneak previews will be available at the Extreme Beer Fest in Boston next weekend. Look for them under the alias One Eyed Woody (Plank I) and Two Eyed Woody (an experimental recipe).
The Werewolf (the beer)
You may have noticed last year that there was something other than Newcastle Brown on the market. A summer Newcastle. Well it was only the start.
Coming this fall (maybe in time for Halloween) will be Newcastle Werewolf…..
“What better way to toast the fall than to have a bottle of this formidable, dual character brew. At first, smooth with mellow overtones of sweet berry fruit, a bite of bitterness suddenly cuts through, long, deep and lingering. Brewed with rye malt, it is naturally ‘blood red’ in colour. Unlike te mythical wolf-like creature said to roam the bleak moorland surrounding Newcastle, this is real, so consider yourself warned!”
Hellhound
The beastly beers reign supreme today!
Here is the latest on the Dogfish Head beer….
“Hellhound is a super-hoppy ale that hits 100 IBUs in the brewhouse, Alc. 10% by vol., 10 SRM in color, and dry-hopped with 100% centennial hops at a rate of 100 kilos per 100 barrel brew-length. To accentuate and magnify the citrusy notes of the centennial hops (and as a shout out to Robert Johnson’s mentor Blind Lemon Jefferson) we add dried lemon peel and flesh to the whirlpool.”
It is the second music related beer from the Dogfish Head brewers. The first being Bitches Brew.
Logger Beer
In honor of the Portland Timber MLS kick-off and since they start the season in Colorado.
They can pick-up this logger beer…..
…from Ska Brewing in Durango.
Portland Timber kick-off
The new MLS Portland Timbers kick-off their season today!
Nothing better than to watch with one of these….
Or you can pick up the official craft brew of Timber Jim. Check out the story at Brewpublic.
BFM Tarry Suchong Smoked Beer
From Switzerland comes this smokey brew that utilizes Souchong tea.
“This beer was first brewed on contract by mines asphalt Travers (NE). We wanted to reconstruct the peculiar smell and smoke of asphalt using malts smoked over beech wood and with the Lapsong Tary Suchong, smoked Chinese tea grade. It is available in very limited quantities at the Brasserie. This beer is amber with a tight foam, its bouquet of smoky aroma and a different smell of caramel. On the palate it is creamy and soft on the attack, developing a bitterness and fruity smoke, marked by the astringency of the tea in China.”
Le Terroir
New Belgium is really pushing the envelope with their Lips of Faith series. Berliner Weiss to Eric’s ale and now this…..
“Le Terroir Dry Hopped Sour Ale is the second Lips of Faith beer now available in limited markets. Le Terroir is a French term meaning “of the earth.” Used to reference the environmental conditions that affect the brew, New Belgium prefers to think about the terroir of our foeders, the wooden barrels that age sour beers in varying temperatures, humidity and vibrations. Add in another variable by dry-hopping with peachy, mango-like amarillo hops, and Le Terroir changes every time it is brewed.”
UPDATE: I had this beer recently at the Library Alehouse in Santa Monica and it is really good. Better in small doses because of the acidity but this has great hops and mango taste. It is so balanced that the sour doesn’t take over. One of my best of 2011 so far.
Off the Grid
Off Grid Pale Ale is the third gluten-free beer from New Planet Brewing. It is a combo of three different hop varietals, sorghum and brown rice extract along with sorghum and brown rice extract, molasses, tapioca maltodextrin, caramel color, hops, and yeast.
New Planet Beer Company will donate a portion of proceeds from the sale of Off Grid Pale Ale to non-profit organizations who support alternative energy efforts.
You can also try the two other gluten-free beers that New Planet Beer brews.
Tread Lightly Ale – “is a smooth and well-balanced “Pilsner like” style ale with citrus tones and light in body and color. It’s made from sorghum and corn extract, orange peel, hops, and yeast. Tread Lightly supports trail restoration.”
3R Raspberry Ale – “our award winning raspberry fruit ale has just the right balance of fruit flavor and aroma. The raspberry ale is made from sorghum and corn extract, natural raspberry puree, orange peel, hops, and yeast. 3R supports Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle – the 3R’s of waste reduction education.”
Revelator
Here is all the info on the latest Brewer’s Share creation from Full Sail….“The Revelator,” crafted by brewer Chris Davis, is a revelation of camaraderie and discourse inspired by friends new and old sharing a beer or two. A winter ale, The Revelator is a deep copper concoction with malty caramel notes, balanced by slight lemon and hints of dill attributed to the hops. It is meant to be enjoyed with others.
According to Davis, “It is a deep copper concoction coming in at 50 bitterness units boasting Sorachi Ace and Amarillo hop cones, not to mention that wondrous agent of change, that fungi perfecti: our own ale yeast.”
With each Brewer’s Share beer, Full Sail picks a local charity to receive a portion of the proceeds from the sale of the beer. Chris has chosen to support the Hood River Start Making a Reader Today (SMART) literacy program. Every keg of The Revelator benefits this volunteer literacy program that brings children and adults together for reading and friendship.
The Brewer’s Share series is a line up of small batch draft beers where each Full Sailor takes a turn hand-crafting their own single batch recipe and a portion of the proceeds benefit a local charity of their choosing. Full Sail’s Brewer’s Share beers will only be available on tap at Full Sail’s Tasting Room and Pub in Hood River, Oregon, and at Full Sail’s Brewery at Riverplace, in Portland, Oregon. Growlers to go are available. The next Brewer’s Share will be brewed by Brewer Josh Pfriem and is expected in April.